Criminal damage trial of anti-war activist adjourned

The retrial of an anti-war activist accused of causing an estimated €1

The retrial of an anti-war activist accused of causing an estimated €1.5 million damage to a US navy plane at Shannon airport has been adjourned.

The case of mother-of-four Ms Mary Kelly (51) was adjourned by Judge Moran at Ennis Circuit Court after one of the key prosecution witnesses missed his flight from America.

The Athlone nurse is accused of attacking the Boeing 737 plane with an axe on January 29th, 2003 causing criminal damage. She is also charged with trespass on the same date. She denies the charges.

Earlier, the jury of eight women and four men was sworn in. In the absence of the jury, legal argument took place this afternoon. The case is expected to last for six or seven days.

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It is the second time that Ms Kelly — a mother of four — has gone on trial for the alleged attack on the plane. Last July, after a four-day trial, the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict after deliberating for five hours on the criminal damage charge.

She was remanded on continuing bail and the trial has been adjourned a number of times since.

An ex-US Attorney General, Mr Ramsey Clark and a former assistant Secretary General of the UN, Mr Denis Halliday are expected to testify on behalf of Ms Kelly. Both gave evidence at the previous trial in July.

Five other anti-war activists are facing charges of criminal damage on the same plane five days after Ms Kelly's alleged attack and their trial is expected to take place in Dublin Circuit Court in the Autumn.

A crowd of 50 anti-war activists gathered outside Ennis courthouse today in support of Ms Kelly.